shortfilm
CBR Stunts Goes Parkour In A New 'Watch Dogs' Fan Film
I’m not a part of the gaming culture so video games are a bit alien to me these days. But I do take notice when fans of certain franchises come out of the woodwork to put together some of the most amazing and inspired fan-attributed projects ever to hit the internet. One such case is Ubisoft’s new action adventure game, Watch Dogs, and independent filmmaker Devin Graham has delivered his own inspired take on the popular upcoming product with a brand new parkour-enfused shortfilm now available on his YouTube channel in the embed below.
Featuring freerunners Chris Romrell and Robert Bennett of CBR Stunt Team with comedic actor and YouTube personality Craig Benzine, the new shortfilm was shot on location in Chicago where the actual game takes place. The cinematography is excellent and smooth, and presents a great look at some incredible parkour work done by the performers, especially when it came to the bigger stunts; No CGI or wires involved. These guys put their lives on the line for the love of their craft, and it deserves to be viewed and shared. After all, you know what they say: Sharing is caring.
Check it out below, and don’t forget to watch the ten-minute behind-the-scenes featurette linked at the end (you can also find all the information you need in the description.
87 Eleven Action Design Presents: GARBAGE DAY
Jeremy Marinas takes out the trash in the new 87 Eleven shortfilm, Garbage Day
The guys over at Hollywood stunt training facility 87 Eleven Action Design have been a little more active on their official Facebook page, sharing photos and videos highlighting some of their work. One of those videos now includes the latest practice gig showcasing the feats of action actors and stunt professionals Jeremy Marinas and Brendon Huor in the new short, Garbage Day.
I have been keeping as much of an eye as possible in the past year and change between Huor‘s activity in the independent action scene, and Marinas‘s viral video presence as a high-profile tricking impressario-one in a small group of athletes who choreograph and peform stunts known as 3 Amigos. Marinas previously caught my attention with fellow team member Daniel Graham in the 2013 shortfilm, Death Before Dishonor a little over a year ago this month, and filmgoers can expect to see plenty more from Marinas and Huor in the months ahead, particularly in featured stunt performances doubling two of the main characters in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles this August.
So, as you might have suspected, if you are into action and are just now tuning in, then consider Garbage Day time well spent.
Check it out below, and give 87 Eleven a Facebook ‘Like’ by CLICKING HERE.
[UPDATED] EMC Monkeys Presents: A Hybrid Special ID (SPL/Flash Point) Fan Short Tribute To Donnie Yen
Enjoy the video below, as well as the behind-the-scenes footage at the bottom of the page.
Fisticuffs, Knives And Hammers Are Weapons Of Choice In The New Short, SmokeCity: BLOODLAND
For Michael Chin, the only way out is to fight his way out in SecondCity: BLOODLAND!
It was just last week that action fans like myself got to witness actor and martial artist Michael Chin in the latest action release from Doghouse 73 Pictures for Malaysian director James Lee’s pilot shortfilm, Second Life. It was an impressive introduction, at least for me as I was just learning about Lee’s new production platform. However, it was also not Chin‘s first stint in cinematic action as his career harkens back just a little earlier with one piece dating back to 2012 in the form of the new shortfilm, SmokeCity: Bloodland, a story of two petty criminals who find themselves way in over their heads when confronted by the men responsible for the crime they are helping commit.
The shortfilm was actually aired back in late 2012 after filming in September that year, before ultimately being taken down by its director, Adrian Lai, so he could revamp his channel and remaster the original edit. It was also a new step at the time for action coordinator Chee Hong and his stunt team, Low Angle Productions, who decided that this presented an opportunity to experiment with less flashier techniques to allow for more grittier and violent action sequences. To our delight, the result is what you see below, and it is well worth the eleven minutes of your time and appreciation as an action fan.
Plans for a second installation are already in the works with the hopes of casting female fighters, although it will take some time considering it is an independent production. But with any luck, SmokeCity 2 will see its fair share of brutal cat fights accompanied by some hardcore action design in the months to come.
In the meantime, by way of re-release, enjoy SmokeCity: Bloodland, and stay tuned for more info!
Machinima Prime Presents: DEUS EX: HUMAN REVOLUTION
The new shortfilm arrived this week for actor, writer and director Moe Charif‘s latest shortfilm contribution, Deus Ex: Human Revolution. I’m not at all familiar with the video game, nor have I yet learned the state of this particular project as to whether or not it will go toward anything larger as far as a webseries or even a feature film. But for a live action adaptation based on a video game in an age where all film adaptations based on games are subject to particular scrutiny, this one appears to pleases the viewing masses quite a bit.
Check it out below, and if you so wish, check it out twice!
SYNOPSIS:
Based on the video game Deus Ex Human Revolution, the film dives into the world of Adam Jensen, a serif industries’ security consultant that gets augmented after an incident that almost took his life away. Although the film doesn’t follow the narrative of the game exactly, it remains true to the theme while focusing on the relationship between Adam Jensen, and his ex girlfriend Megan Reed, a scientist hand picked by Serif Industries to head Cybernetic Augmentations. Megan is taken by the Illuminati and is asked to assist them in turning on a mysterious device but she refuses to cooperate. Jensen has been looking for Megan since she was kidnapped and has finally pinpointed her location. Adam faces a complication that he did not account for; Yelena Federova, an Augmented assassin is at the facility where Megan is being held. The film also taps, even if briefly, into Adam’s mind and the struggle he must face on daily basis.
Watch The New Sci-Fi Action Short, SHIFTER!
Johnny DeBeers steps in for the kill in the new short, SHIFTER
The Hallivis brothers – producer Julio and director Diego – already have an accumulating list of short film credits to their brand, with plenty more to check out at their official website. Adding to the list this week is the re-emergence of actor Johnny DeBeers who most recently appeared in an axe-wielding fight clip ahead of the forthcoming release of R.L. Scott’s new film, Call Me King. Only now, DeBeers is looking to spill some blood at a more excessive rate as a heavily-armed badass government soldier on a ruthless hunt against a freedom fighter in the new Hallivis Brothers sci-fi fantasy action short, Shifter.
Zach Avery and Virginia Welch round out the main cast of the project, of which you can check out some more material at their official Facebook page!
SYNOPSIS:
Los Angeles – 2023. James Striker is on the verge of bringing down the oppressive government that has crushed all freedom in the United States. But before he can take them on, Striker must get past a homicidal drone and an elite squad of EFT soldiers. His only advantage is the SHIFT, a process that allows Striker to transfer his mind into an identical clone body. New body, Same mission: Bring the whole system down.
The Reality Of Internal Conflict Meets A Touch Of Kung Fu Fantasy In The New Trailer For WARRIORS
Pablo is a young martial artist who lives with his grandmother and, because of lack of money, is about to take a wrong desicion. In the midst of an enormous confusion Victor will appear, a spiritual being that will make Pablo understand his life from an other point of view. An inner battle between good and evil.
[UPDATED] Krowdfunding Begins For MORTAL KOMBAT: THE ONE
UPDATE: This article now includes newly added links to the crowdfunding page that began on Wednesday, following the Tuesday posting of this article.
While any promise of screenwriter Oren Uziel’s script for a feature-length live-action Mortal Kombat movie continues to sit in a painful state of limbo, inspired fan film efforts are keep things moving forward with the latest trailer for the unofficial shortfilm production, Mortal Kombat: The One. Set to begin production later this year for a Fall airing, the new project comes from from student filmmaker Anthony Pellino, whose script for the film’s possible 12-to-15 minute duration will center namely on characters, Lin Kuei ninja Sub-Zero and the God of Thunder himself, Raiden, loosely based on the plot from the original games.
SYNOPSIS:
Set a few years before the 10th tournament in Manhattan, Rayden is desperate. He has very few leads on potential fighters, and he knows this is his last chance. He needs the best. By blackmailing an even more desperate on-the-run Sub-Zero, (running from the Cyber Initiative) Rayden promises Sub-Zero protection from the Lin-Kuei in exchange for services.
Together they devise ways to lure the very small list of fighters they have into joining their cause and training them up until the tournament.
Pellino‘s latest labor of love caught the attention of the folks at Mortal Kombat Online who inquired with Pellino about his goals for the project, to which he replied with the following: “With an incredibly talented group of people on board, we hope to make something the fans can appreciate, even though it does not exactly follow the timeline of MK.”.
Brooklyn night club Slake NYC and Manhattan concert venue Olivia are reported to be the collective production grounds for the new shortfilm, in which Shaolin hero characters Liu Kang and Kai will also appear. Other characters may include an epilogue sequence featuring Outworld emperor Shao Khan, princess Kitana and her acid-spewing guardian Reptile, depending on how far Pellino can stretch his budget, which means crowdfunding has officially begun.
Granted, this is just a teaser, and still leaves yet to be known if the new project could match the success previously earned in 2010 by filmmaker Kevin Tancharoen whose own eight minute shortfilm had starpower and led to the prospects of a Hollywood film proposal from Warner Bros. and a sucessful two-season webseries before his unceremonious departure late last year. However, if this ambitious new fan film does manage to deliver on its own, could Pellino very well be the next Kevin Tancharoen? What do you think?
Watch the trailer below and speak out in the comment section below, and feel free to visit the project’s official Indiegogo campaign page for donation information, details on the perks you can earn, and much more.
H/T: Mortal Kombat Online
Zero Gravity's Andrew Suleiman Features Choreography In New Featurette For YOU CAN'T HEAR ME/YOU CAN'T SEE ME
The team for You Can’t Hear Me/You Can’t See Me, with Andrew Suleiman (left) and Verdy Bhawanta (right) on the bottom.
Upon discovering the world of independent action cinema for myself about a decade ago, I learned who actor, writer, martial artist and stunt coordinator Andrew Suleiman (pictured above, bottom row on the left) when I saw him in a 2004 project for Zero Gravity with actor Larry Leong titled Cha Cha Chinaman. From then on, Suleiman became a name I never let go of – even as my computer burned out back in 2008 and I was left to endure life without the internet for a few years.
Well, earlier today, I had the opportunity to acquaint myself with Suleiman in a fun, lively chat about his happenings, his career and what he’s up to now. And though many of us haven’t heard from the team as a whole, it doesn’t mean that its members aren’t staying busy in the field in one form or another. The same goes for Suleiman who has been back home in Indonesia working on his career, in addition to building up his credentials and craft as an actor, writer and martial arts performer with a number of projects in mind, including his latest ambitions for the upcoming Holy Bastards English-language action comedy short, You Can’t Hear Me/You Can’t See Me.
Imagine, if you will, a story of a blind guitar-playing hipster songstress who invites two men over for a small Christmas gathering-one, a blind former soldier/happy ending masseur, and the other, a perverted mute cat-burglar. A good time is had by all that evening until suddenly the two spot a small horde of hooded members of the occult set on kidnapping the very same woman. Of course, this must not be allowed to happen, and our two heroes must leap into action to save their beautiful female host from certain harm.
This is the project Suleiman is intending to approach with ample funding for a hopeful transition from a short proof-of-concept filmed back in February of last year, to a full feature-length production which also puts rising martial arts star and Capoiera maestro Verdy Bhawanta back on the map after starring in Pirate Brothers (a.k.a. Mortal Enemies) back in 2011 with actor Robin Shou. And not to rub it in, but I was fortunate to screen the proof-of-concept for myself today, and it is awesome!
While I cannot show you the actual proof-of-concept, what I can show you is the newly unveiled pre-viz stunt featurette now available for viewng on YouTube, featuring Suleiman and Bhawanta, the stunt team and choreographers Andry Ganda and Ivan Chen. With any luck however, the next few weeks of patience will grant us the opportunity to view the spectacular short that martial arts cinema fans will enjoy.
As a noteworthy mention, You Can’t Hear Me/You Can’t See Me is directed by Dicky Fa and Awi Suryadi, the latter who just wrapped up the Fall 2013 filming of his new racing action thriller, Street Society, set for release later this year with the trailer set to premiere this Friday on Twitchfilm. In the meantime, more news awaits this year as Suleiman looks forward to more projects, including a possible role in director Timo Tjahjanto’s The Night Comes For Us, and a reunion with several Zero Gravity members for future gigs, one of which could very likely see Bhawanta go toe-to-toe with fellow actor and Capoiera impressario, Lateef Crowder Dos Santos (Tom Yum Goong, Tekken).
Here’s to the best for Suleiman as the release of his new proof-of-concept short draws near. Check out training featurette below, and stay tuned for more info.
Bhawanta‘s film, Mortal Enemies, will release in North America on DVD and Blu-Ray on February 18, 2014.
The Final Battle Between Ranger And Outlaw Begins In FROM MAN TO MAN (Da Uomo a Uomo)
I feel like I must have covered LBP Stunts Chicago a lot this year. Aside from what seems to have been a flourishing year for multifaceted stuntman and independent filmmaker Emmanuel Manzanres, it was only two days ago that I covered two of the team’s members, Nate Hitpas and Keith Min in seperate pieces.
Now, just three days later, we are back with another collaborative piece from our director, which he wrapped up during his time in California, newly releasing his latest short, From Man To Man – Da Uomo a Uomo: Volume 2. Two years in the making, the shortfilm follows up Manzanares‘ own visionary concept illustrating kung fu action in a western setting featuring actors, Thousand Pounds’ own Vonzell Carter and LBP’s own Brendon Huor in parallel battles that ultimately lead to their final one-on-one confrontation, inspired by the aesthetic presented in Zhang Yimou’s Hero with legends Jet Li and Donnie Yen.
Manzanres has done some amazing work this year, in addition to his recent television work in Chicago PD and Chicago Fire, and performing stunts with fellow LBP members under action director J.J. Perry in helmer Neil Burger’s upcoming sci-fi adventure, Divergent. And if you are just now catching onto LBP and what they are all about, you can check out the tags at the bottom of the article.
Manzanares also set to appear in the upcoming indie all star production of Unlucky Stars going into the new year, which has already been a really long wait that fans continue to hope will end soon.
Stay tuned for more information as it trickles, and for your enjoyment, check out both volumes below for From Man To Man – Da Uomo a Uomo in the embeds below.
Also starring are Jeffrey Griffith, LBP’s own Alex Hashioka and Martial Club team performer, actor Andy Le.
FROM MAN TO MAN (DA UOMO A UOMO): PART ONE
From Man to Man (Da Uomo a Uomo) Vol. 1 from LBP Stunts Chicago on Vimeo.
FROM MAN TO MAN (DA UOMO A UOMO): PART TWO
Internal Chinese Kung Fu Delivers Artful External Brutality In The New Shortfilm, XING YI QUAN: APPLICATIONS AND TECHNIQUES
It was back in February in the early existence of Film Combat Syndicate that I got to share a dialogue with Hollywood stuntman, action performer and martial artist, Keith Min. A prominent member of LBP Stunts Chicago, much of Min‘s energy in martial arts is spent observing the core, internal philosophies of his teachings as an instructor in Chicago, trained in a variety of disciplines ranging from Baguazhang and Tai Chi, to his preferred style, Xing Yi, which can now be viewed in its cinematic aesthetic in the new kung fu action shortfilm, Xing Yi Quan: Techniques And Applications.
As I interpreted before in my informative and poignant discussion with Min back in February, Min‘s internal principles are what embody his vision to be able to implement his training with students in a simple but effective, and enjoyable manner to students of all types and sizes. Min expanded on the said “internal” benefits of his martial arts training, telling Film Combat Syndicate “Martial arts has really given me a way to condition my body and mind in very unique ways through various exercises, fighting techniques, and chi kung and meditation. I really appreciate the internal styles of kung fu because of how much they emphasize taking care of health. In my life, martial arts have taught me a lot about my outlook on life and how to deal with it.”
During our chat, Min also expressed the foundation of his teachings in Xing Yi, and detailed a little bit more in how he goes about instructing his students, highlighing strength, uniqueness and coordination, among other things. “My classes are Xing Yi which is a very powerful and direct style.” he says. “I teach how to use alignment and body mechanics along with great exercises for health and longevity.” He also added, “There is a big emphasis on full body power and coordination. I like arts like Xing Yi because its concept-based techniques have several applications. But I truly appreciate the way they take care of the body and aim to make it more healthy instead of just building raw strength for power…”
Filmed in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, N.Y. earlier this year back in March, Min earned the opportunity to formulate much of that concept for Xing Yi Quan: Techniques And Applications when he collaborated with New York-based independent filmmaker Jon Truei, and fellow New York stunt actors Kenny Wong and Cinematic Fight Studio’s own Lang Yip, Team FistyleZ’s Joey Min from New Jersey, and fellow action actors Jayson Soto and Matt Healey from Philadelphia and Connecticut, respectively. The new shortfilm is edited entirely in slow-motion, which doesn’t take away at all from the dynamic tone of the choreography and the editing, but augments it in a way that further justifies his credentials as one of the best in his respective fields, as a bonafide stuntman, stunt coordinator, teacher, and purveyor of the spirit in which Kung Fu continues to exist to this day.
Click HERE to read my interview with Keith Min. It is one of my earlier articles, and personally, I am very proud to both begin and end my first year as founder and editor of Film Combat Syndicate with a write-up about Min in a brand new body of work.
In addition, you can learn more about Min in the description of the video where you may subscribe to LBP Stunts Chicago for more awesome content. And also, check out some behind the scenes photos following the brand new shortfilm below.
Explosive Freerunning Action And Adventure Sets The Tone In The New Shortfilm, JUMPSTART
Looking to kickoff your weekend with a little action and adventure? Well, if you’re a regular subscriber to the official YouTube channel for Flow, you’re pretty much in the right place where you can now catch independent filmmaker, producer, stunt coordinator and USA Parkour founder, Robbie Corbett‘s latest 14-minute crowdfunded action shortfilm, JumpStart.